The benefits of Pilates for men

There is still a lot of confusion today about what is the Pilates method, This is largely the result of misleading marketing which, among other things, has led people to believe that this is a physical discipline aimed exclusively at the female public... nothing could be further from the truth!

What are the benefits of Pilates for men?

The Pilates method is a training discipline that benefits all types of people regardless of their age and gender. Within the male gender, it is also for all types of men, from the most sedentary, or those who practice an occasional sport, to elite athletes.

In addition, training with the method works the whole body as a whole, taking into account the physical characteristics and any ailments or injuries you may have.

In the case of men, there are certain physical aspects that are usually greatly enhanced in other types of training, but in the case of the Pilates method, we achieve multiple benefits that in other disciplines are not contemplated when looking for other types of objectives, such as:

• Strengthening of the energy centre and deep musculature
• Balance between internal and external musculature and between muscle chains
• Increased muscle elasticity and elongation
• Stabilises the joints by strengthening the muscle work without risk of injury
• Increased overall flexibility
• Increased joint amplitudes
• Analytical work on the strength and flexibility of the spine
• Enhances respiratory capacity
• Improves body alignment and posture
• Improved agility
• Prevents injuries and helps to recover from existing injuries.
• It is an ideal complement to combine with other sports.
• Improves balance and coordination
• Improves concentration and body awareness
• Reduces stress and anxiety levels

Main advantages of Pilates

Improved strength and endurance

In general, the male sector seeks to promote muscle development and gain resistance in the external and superficial musculature, which is usually the muscle that moves and pulls weight, leaving aside the work on stability and support of the internal musculature, something that, if worked well, requires a greater effort, achieving better results.

For this reason, it is extremely important to complement this external strength training, which involves taking large amounts of weight, with the practice of Pilates, which works from the energy centre towards the more distal and external areas, giving firmness and control to the joints that will support and move these weights. In addition, it will give security and protection to structures that would be conditioned to suffer if this control did not exist.

On the other hand, a muscle is stronger when it has more contractile capacity, i.e. the more elastic it is and the further it can contract. So a shortened muscle will not be stronger, but rather weaker. This muscle elongation that we work on with Pilates will contribute to fewer injuries in other sports that are practised.

The combination of both workouts will balance the external and internal musculature, thus further enhancing strength and endurance performance, ensuring correct joint mechanics without risk of injury.

Increased flexibility and mobility

In men, it is common for there to be certain rigid areas in the spine and pelvis due to their anatomy and muscular and joint stiffness. Training from the strength of the energy centre and with the help of resistances and counter-forces provided by the method's exclusive equipment, makes the muscle chains become more elastic and the joints increase their articular range, gaining flexibility.

With this elasticity we get the muscles that are shorter and weaker to become stronger and stretch at the same time. A muscle is stronger when it has more contraction capacity, that is to say, the more elastic it is and the greater the distance it can contract. So a shortened muscle will not be stronger, but rather weaker. This muscle elongation that we work on with Pilates, which is so necessary for men, will contribute to fewer injuries in day-to-day life or with other sports or training sessions that are practised.

Improved posture and body alignment

The practice of the Pilates method helps to readjust the necessary forces that put the body structures into operation, seeking alignment and balancing the muscle chains by strengthening the deep musculature.

From this musculature, the joints and the spine are stabilised and supported, thus improving their function and position, which will be reflected in a correct alignment and better posture.

Reduced stress and improved concentration

For many men who are used to training in conventional gyms, the body awareness work we do with the Pilates method is a real challenge. We pay attention with maximum concentration to each body sensation and movement precision, because Pilates is not only a physical discipline but also a mental one, so that what is worked on in class is first applied consciously and later becomes an automatic workout.

If we concentrate on the execution of each muscular action, each position of our joints and the functioning of our breathing, the perception that we obtain of our body will be full of infinite possibilities that will allow us to obtain an exquisite control, with the appropriate precision and intensity so as not to make it suffer with overloads or pressures that would lead to pain or injury.

This mental work, where the concentration in the Pilates session has an important value, will help to reduce the levels of stress that sometimes becomes the cause of psychosomatic pain in men, which will also be reduced.

Recommendations for male Pilates practitioners

It is recommended to practice the Pilates method on a regular basis for best results. It is important to establish a consistent weekly routine or timetable. From this point on, depending on your needs, you can increase the frequency.

It always works by drawing strength from the centre of energy towards the more distal parts and extremities and not the other way around. In this way we manage to strengthen the internal musculature, which will give us stability in the joints and will allow us to guarantee safety in the function and strength of the external musculature, seeking a balance between the forces that make the muscle chains work. Thus, if in parallel, we carry out strength training with heavy weights, we will avoid muscular and joint injuries.

Look for quality and not quantity. The method focuses on performing the exercises with few repetitions, so as not to lose that precision or put at risk weak areas that need to be worked on little by little. At the same time, giving a meaning to the movement and not simply performing infinite repetitions mechanically and randomly.

Find an instructor specialising in Pilates for men

Pilates instructors who hold the Pilates certification of Romana's Pilates New York, They are also able to prepare work sessions for women and men alike.

The content of their training covers all the details, aspects and characteristics of both genders, so the aim will always be to work on the physical characteristics and qualities of each gender, including gender-specific exercises, and to improve and enhance the needs of each gender.

Adjust the exercises according to your needs and fitness level.

The Pilates method is designed so that each session and each exercise can be specifically adapted to the physical and functional state of any man according to his capacity, pain, injuries and decompensations that may cause an incorrect postural pattern, allowing the strengthening and improvement of muscular imbalances and seeking correct body alignment, giving stability, strength and flexibility.

The method allows the use of various modifications that will make the man work without having to be forced in certain movements or with unnecessary and harmful tensions in his current state or process, allowing him to exercise what he really needs and that will make him improve without the risk of harming himself.

It is advisable to be cautious and not to rush into exercises for which the body is not yet ready. The strength needed to achieve good body control has to come from the energy centre and not from other areas such as legs or arms, which is common in other training modalities.

Combine Pilates with other physical activities

The Pilates method is an excellent training complement to any sport or physical activity. It will improve all the physical qualities that increase the performance and mechanics of any sporting gesture, such as coordination, control and balance, as well as increasing mental concentration and body awareness.

The Pilates method also works on muscular strength, focusing above all on the deep muscles that protect our joints and which are not usually worked in other types of gym training or other sports disciplines. It is the ideal complement for any man who does weight training, running, swimming, tennis, football, basketball or any other sport.

The flexibility work provided by the method also becomes a very important aspect in the case of men, as it is a quality that is less developed in them, and we will see its benefit reflected in any sporting activity.

It is important to emphasise that there are unilateral sports in which the continuous use of the musculature on the same side will end up suffering overload and the disuse of the opposite side will weaken it. Pilates training will help to rebalance the stability and function of each musculature.

Conclusion

There are certain physical workouts that are usually associated with one gender when in reality, not only do they benefit both, but they can make the most of the physical qualities that each person needs and work them to the maximum, whether it is a man or a woman. This is the case with the Pilates method.

The method is designed to test both men and women, adapting perfectly to their characteristics and needs and thus being able to enhance physical qualities that are diminished and to reach a balance to improve the global and integral function of the body, whether you are a man or a woman.

In addition, if you practice any sport, you will be able to nourish and complement it with the benefits of the Pilates method. You will see improved qualities such as strength, power, flexibility, agility, endurance, balance, coordination and proprioception through the constant use of concentration, fluid breathing and body awareness, achieving efficient movement patterns, a good postural correction, a decrease in fatigue and an exhaustive control.

So, now what, do you dare to practice it? Visit our Pilates centre in Madrid and we tell you how to get started.